Biblical Hebrew Forum

[ben.crick AT argonet.co.uk (Ben Crick)]

On Tue 23 Jan 2001 (18:51:26), tmcos AT hotmail.com wrote:
>   I had a question re: Job 2:9. The AV reads the words of Job's wife to
> her  husband as "...curse God, and die." in light of Job's tragedy. The
> Hebrew however has "BaReCH" if my memory serves me right, and that word
> generally means to "bless". Yet English translations render it "curse",
> even though the MT does not use the word which means "curse", namely 'aRaR.
> Why do English translations render it "Curse" instead of "Bless"? Many
> thanks.

 Dear Tony,

 The English versions translate it Curse God... because that is what it
 represents. "Bless God" is a euphemism for "Curse God", in case someone
 overhears and reports them for Blasphemy and has them put to death (as can
 happen in several countries today).

 You get the same convention in the story of Naboth's Vineyard in 1 Kings 
21:10
 and 13.

 Shalom
 Ben
-- 
 Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
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